A Light in the Dark
by becks89
Summary: -Complete-When in the Coven, Willow recieves some help from a once evil Potions Master. BTVSHP. No pairing, WillowSnape friendship.


Disclaimer:  Willow belongs to Joss Whedon, Snape to J.K Rowling.

Timeline:  Summer when Willow is in the coven, not so sure for HP.

Spoilers:  End of Season 6.

Notes:  One parter, I will not be continuing.  And thanks goes out to Sam-453 who came up with the title!

Summary:  When in the coven, Willow receives some help from a Potions Master.

A gentle breeze picked at the green leaves on the trees, birds chirped their summer song as they sat on branches, the blue sky overhead spoke of gentle and warm days to come and a tall, young, red headed woman sat next to a pond, her eyes closed as she listened to the summer breeze.

Her skin was pale, her eyes green, her hair red, and she was beautiful sight for the eyes.  She looked peaceful, her legs crossed on the ground, her hands folded neatly in her lap, and the wind gently picking up the strands of silky hair.  But if one looked closer, one could see two tear drops, travelling down her pale cheeks, each reflecting her pain and anguish she had suffered from the last two weeks.

Willow Rosenberg had lost her only love two weeks ago, and her grief had consumed her.  Driven by anger, she had killed a man, had hurt her friends more than she would probably ever know, and had tried to destroy the world.  

She felt lonely.  And she was mourning.  She had been sent here by an old and wise friend, to help her get over the dark magic, and recover from her loss.  Getting over her dark magic was hard, but it was harder to recover from her loss.  Willow could still see her, blond hair flying in the wind, her smile decorating the world, and then, the red splatter of blood on her top, her dead eyes as she looked into Willow's brown ones.

She had failed Tara.  Instead of grieving quietly for her, Willow had done the unspeakable.  

***

He looked out at the grounds, and spotted the woman he was meant to help.  She looked peaceful, and he questioned again why he was here to help her.  He was almost as bad as her, he had turned to the dark side, had relished in it for years, and then had redeemed himself, but he still remembered the thrill it had given him when women and children had begged for their lives, when men had tried to fight, but with two simple words, he had made their lives end.  It made him sick.

He made his way over to the woman, his lips pursed, his hands set unnaturally at his sides.  He came to stand behind the woman, and coughed gently to announce his presence.  The woman opened her eyes and looked back, her green eyes widening at the sight of him.

"But…but…sunlight…" She murmured, and the man rolled his eyes.

"Good afternoon."  He said swiftly, and the woman stood up, brushing the seat of her trousers to get rid of the dirt.

"Hello."  She said meekly, smiling sweetly, but the man could tell her heart was not in it.

"I am here to help you."  He said robotically, and the red headed woman furrowed her eyebrows.

"Who sent you?"

"It does not matter.  I am here to help you."  He repeated.

"Ok.  Help away."  She said, and she waited.

He stood uncomfortably on the grass, his eyes wandering around the landscape.  _What am I supposed to do now?_

"My name is Willow Rosenberg."  Willow said, holding out her hand for him to shake, an amused smile on her face.

"Severus Snape."  He said, ignoring the hand she offered.  Willow let her hand rest by her side, her head bowed.  Snape sighed; he hated to see women sad. "You are sad, Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow looked up sharply, and she nodded.  "Call me Willow.  Miss Rosenberg makes me feel old."  She added, trying to dodge the subject.

"You are sad...Willow?"  Snape repeated.

"Yes, Severus."

"Snape."

"What?"

"You gave me permission to call you Willow, but I do not give you permission to call me anything other than Snape."

Willow nodded, and walked away from him, sitting on a white bench, overlooking the pond.  Snape sighed again.  _Damn women's feelings._

"I've offended you, haven't I?"  He said, sitting next to her on the bench, and Willow smiled.

"No.  It just seems kinda wiggy that someone would send you to help me.  To me, it doesn't seem as if you have ever helped anyone in your life.  And judging by your expression, I guess I'm right."  

"I'm here because…because I know what you're going through."

"What?  You've watched you're lover die, you flayed a guy alive and you've tried to destroy the world?"  Willow asked, her voice devoid of any emotion as she looked at the scenery.

"No."  Snape agreed.

"So why do you want to help me then?"  Willow asked, somewhat angry, but at what, Snape had no idea.

Snape stood up from the bench, dusting off his black coat.  "I'll go then.  It seems to me you do not want my help."

He made a move to go, and Willow stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. 

"I'm sorry.  You have good intentions, and I'm spoiling them."  Her green eyes glittered with tears.

"Miss Rosenberg, you are not a friend.  I have no particular interest in you, and I am assuming you have none in me.  I am here to help you against my will.  I am here to help you with your grief and your abuse of magic.  I will help you, you will recover, you will go back to where ever you came from, and you will forget about me.  I will help you, I will go back home, and I will never think of you again.  My intentions, I assure you, are not good.  I am merely here to pay a debt to society, as it were, and frankly, I do not particularly care if I help you or not, but I do hope I will, because if I do not, I will be forced to come here again, and frankly, I do not want to."

Willow looked at him, and amused smile on her face.

"What's bitten you on the ass?"

Snape visibly bristled and he made to walk again, but having only gotten two steps away from Willow, he stopped, his back facing her.

"I was evil once."  He admitted, his hands folded in front of him, his black hair falling in front of his face.  "It felt good while I was, but after, when I was redeemed, when I worked for good, it felt dirty.  I felt dirty.  I felt as if I should not be allowed to live, I had done things which were too horrible to speak of, and some which are too horrific to think off."  He turned, to face Willow, a desperate look on his face.  "For many months after, my dreams were haunted by what I had done.  Everywhere I turned, I thought of the pain I had inflicted.  I imagine that is what you are feeling now."  He stared into her eyes, and he saw the truth.

Willow took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and explained.  "When I saw her die, it was like something inside of me had died as well.  I wanted revenge.  I wanted to kill the men who had killed her.  I didn't think of the people I would be hurting in the process.  My friends, they have stuck by me through thick and thin, were hurt by me.  I said, did horrible things.  And I am truly sorry for it."  Willow's eyes were brimming with tears, and Snape sat next to her.  "I don't know if they can forgive me.  I don't know if she can forgive me."  Willow looked up, tears cascading down her face as she thought of Tara.  "I'm so sorry baby…I'm so sorry.  Please…forgive me…please…"

Willow leaned on Snape's shoulder, whispering her plea over and over, until Snape's eyes let out tears for the people he had hurt, for the people he had betrayed.

"I'm so sorry...forgive me."

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